Can AI help solve the COBOL code crisis?

OpenAI claims its newest models are substantially better at migrating older programming languages such as COBOL into modern code, a potential aid for organizations maintaining legacy systems.

By AIWI EditorialReviewed by Chayanika DivekarAI-assisted summary · human-reviewed1 min readPublished Oct 26, 2026

Single source1 source

Reality Check

Availability: Announced only
Hype-o-meter: Some hype
Who it's for: Enterprises · Developers
Do this now: Review OpenAI's stated model improvements before assuming they can safely migrate your critical legacy code.
Claims check: The improvement claims come from OpenAI itself; the input does not provide independent verification.
Corroboration: Single source · 1 source

Key Takeaways

COBOL still runs critical systems at the IRS, banks, airlines, and government infrastructure
OpenAI announced improved model ability to migrate legacy code on October 19th
The company says this could help maintain and modernize older systems
Legacy code remains risky to alter, complicating modernization efforts

The Verge examines whether AI can address the persistent problem of legacy software written in aging programming languages like COBOL. Such code underpins systems at the IRS, banks, airlines, and government infrastructure worldwide, and organizations are often reluctant to modify it for fear of causing failures.

On October 19th, OpenAI said its latest AI models showed “substantial improvements” at migrating software written in older languages into modern code. The company claims this capability could assist organizations with maintaining and modernizing older systems, with COBOL cited as one example.

Why it matters

Legacy code remains deeply embedded in essential institutions, and the difficulty of updating it poses ongoing operational risk. If AI tools can reliably translate old code into modern languages, that could affect how these systems are maintained.

Who should care

Organizations that depend on legacy systems — including financial institutions, government agencies, and airlines — along with the teams responsible for maintaining them, have reason to follow these developments.

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Sources & Further Reading

Can AI help solve the COBOL code crisis? — The Verge — AI · Oct 26, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

What did OpenAI announce?

On October 19th, OpenAI said its latest models made substantial improvements in migrating software written in older programming languages into modern code.

Which systems rely on legacy code like COBOL?

According to the article, the IRS, banks, airlines, and government infrastructure around the world run on such systems.

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